Triple the Blues

In-depth

9 Feb

Mark Rix is feeling the blues - but in a good way.

Based in Bolwarrah near Ballarat in Victoria, Mark and wife, Kaye’s business hauls grain and fertiliser across that state as well as South Australia and Southern New South Wales. While he has a mixed fleet, Mark has been buying Freightliner trucks for some time, including multiple Coronados and a Columbia that managed more than 2 million km before it was sold to a new owner.

Happy with his past association with the Freightliner product Mark took the plunge back in 2019 and ordered a stunning blue 126 Cascadia. So pleased was he with his ‘blues’ experience, he ordered two more (blue of course) which arrived in his stable this past October.

“Cascadia is a very different vehicle compared to previous Freightliners,” said Mark. “You can’t compare the Cascadia to the Freightliners of yore, it is a quantum leap over anything before it. The technology, the comfort, the quality of the interior and the performance is just way out in front of the previous models, and any other truck from my experience.”

High praise indeed.

Mark reckons the combination of advanced technology and safety - previously missing from US-style bonneted trucks in Australia - together with a comfortable conventional truck and a spacious sleeper has made for the perfect truck. And you can’t get much more spacious than a 60” cabin. That’s a lot of dancing room in this country.

“They figured out a way to combine the best parts of European trucks with the best parts of American trucks.”

Mark and wife Kaye went for the DD16, 16 litre Detroit putting out 600 hp and 2779Nm of torque. The mill puts the power through Detroit’s excellent DT-12, 12 speed fully automated transmission.

All three Cascadias are recording excellent fuel consumption, but it is the single trailer 126 running at 44-tonnes across to Adelaide and back that is the standout. “It’s getting 2.4km per litre every single day and that is fantastic. I’m really, really happy with that. These Detroit’s are the best performers not only on fuel but also AdBlue.”

Mark’s also happy with the four year/800,000km manufacturer warranty and five years/500,000km of complimentary servicing that is standard with all Cascadia models rated below 110 tonnes.

Standard equipment includes a full suite of safety features including a radar and camera-based Advanced Emergency Braking System (AEBS) that can automatically detect, and fully brake for, moving pedestrians in addition to vehicles. Also standard is a radar-based adaptive cruise control system and a lane departure warning system in addition to Electronic Stability Program and a driver airbag.

Mark and Kaye also went for the optional Sideguard Assist feature, which uses radar to detect people, cars and other objects down the side of the truck when it is about to move left into a lane or turn left. Sideguard Assist appears to be a favourite option on Cascadia, proving its worth with many buyers.

The Rix’s most recent Cascadia 126 was hooked up to a brand-new tri-tri stag trailer set manufactured by Chris’ Body Builders. Together they make for a stunning combination.

If you happen to pass one of Mark’s cool Cascadia’s there’s a chance that you’ll start singing the blues too.